Yesterday was Joaquin's half birthday! We celebrated with a trip to his pediatrician and found out that Joaquin is a string bean. He is 15 pounds, 2 ounces (in the 10th percentile for weight) and 26 inches tall (the 50th percentile for height). Tall and skinny seems to run in the family.
Otherwise, the doctor diagnosed him as "perfect." I couldn't agree more.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter everyone! I hope you are all going to enjoy a beautiful, relaxing day today!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Jogging a 5K on May 1st - Please Donate!
On May 1st, Joaquin and I will be jogging a 5K. The charity we are jogging for is called SHORTSTOP, and is a juvenile crime diversion program supported by the Orange County Bar Association.
If you would like to support us, please donate here. Thank you!
If you would like to support us, please donate here. Thank you!
Old Picture of the Pups
I saw this picture of Bananas and our old doggy, Lupas, on my computer and it made me smile. Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
(Late) Pictures from Jackson Hole
Serenity:
Getting some love from Lizzie:
Out to lunch:
With dad out on the town:
With his auntie Mia:
Getting some love from Lizzie:
Out to lunch:
With dad out on the town:
With his auntie Mia:
Toys!!
It's funny how you don't realize how BIG some small developments can really be until they happen. In recent weeks Joaquin has shown a real interest in toys and an ability to pick them up and otherwise manipulate them. No big deal right? Wrong. It is amazing how we can now distract him from something unpleasant (like being stuck in a car seat) with a toy or keep him busy playing while we unload the dishwasher.
It is so much fun to watch as all of these small developments start to add up!
It is so much fun to watch as all of these small developments start to add up!
Aaaaahhhhh... weekends are nice
I was spoiled for the last several months on maternity leave. Weekends were great because they meant that Jay would be around, but that was the only big difference. I had forgotten how nice weekends really are.
After losing my last weekend to a big merger, I have suddenly remembered what precious days Saturday and Sunday can be. This weekend has been great so far. I worked from home on Friday, so it has felt extra long and luxurious. Jay and I had a lot of fun yesterday taking two separate walks on the beach, one bike ride with Joaquin to the pier and driving around Turtle Rock looking at open houses. We even found one house we really liked. And on Friday, I completed our home office conversion, although I am still waiting on delivery of our new desktop. Pictures will follow in a week or so once it's in tip top shape.
Today we are relaxing at home until Joaquin's second nap ends. Then we are driving to Eastbluff in hopes of catching a few more open houses. Fun times!
After losing my last weekend to a big merger, I have suddenly remembered what precious days Saturday and Sunday can be. This weekend has been great so far. I worked from home on Friday, so it has felt extra long and luxurious. Jay and I had a lot of fun yesterday taking two separate walks on the beach, one bike ride with Joaquin to the pier and driving around Turtle Rock looking at open houses. We even found one house we really liked. And on Friday, I completed our home office conversion, although I am still waiting on delivery of our new desktop. Pictures will follow in a week or so once it's in tip top shape.
Today we are relaxing at home until Joaquin's second nap ends. Then we are driving to Eastbluff in hopes of catching a few more open houses. Fun times!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Best. Husband. Ever.
This last weeked has been really crazy with work. I have technically only worked 6 work days, the first three of which I had almost nothing to do, but have now billed over 60 hours in a very short period of time.
This meant that Jay had to step up to the plate big time with Joaquin and other household duties, all while balancing his own work and other obligations. Jay has gone above and beyond, all without complaining or making me feel guilty for being so absent.
I am so incredibly lucky to be married to such a wonderful man.
Jay, you are the love of my life and you are my "partner" in every sense of the word. I am incredibly grateful to have you in my life.
I can't wait until work calms down a bit so I can spend more time with my boys.
This meant that Jay had to step up to the plate big time with Joaquin and other household duties, all while balancing his own work and other obligations. Jay has gone above and beyond, all without complaining or making me feel guilty for being so absent.
I am so incredibly lucky to be married to such a wonderful man.
Jay, you are the love of my life and you are my "partner" in every sense of the word. I am incredibly grateful to have you in my life.
I can't wait until work calms down a bit so I can spend more time with my boys.
Quick Note on Sleep Training
After focusing on all of the negatives of our sleep training experience in my previous posts, I wanted to quickly update anyone following that saga with our results so far.
In the last week, with only a few minor hiccups, Joaquin has successfully gone to bed with little or no crying on time, and woken up only once or twice during the night for a quick meal and easily settled back down to sleep.
On Saturday, he went to bed at 4:45, woke twice for meals, and slept in until 7:30!! Wow. I could not believe it. I was a little upset though because I wanted to hang out with him a bit more over the weekend. But, I was happy that he got his rest if he needed it.
So, in the end, we now feel very satisfied with the results of sleep training. Joaquin is well rested and happier when he is up. And Jay and I have been enjoying a more predictable schedule and better rest at night. I understand why other people would not want to go through this process, as I definitely had a very hard time with it, but ultimately it was the right decision for Joaquin and for us.
For now, we are happy with the two night wakings routine. If it continues for several more months, we may revisit sleep training to reduce to one meal at night and then again to get to sleeping through the night. I still have not gotten 8 consecutive hours of sleep for almost six months now...but I think I can survive for a bit longer.
In the last week, with only a few minor hiccups, Joaquin has successfully gone to bed with little or no crying on time, and woken up only once or twice during the night for a quick meal and easily settled back down to sleep.
On Saturday, he went to bed at 4:45, woke twice for meals, and slept in until 7:30!! Wow. I could not believe it. I was a little upset though because I wanted to hang out with him a bit more over the weekend. But, I was happy that he got his rest if he needed it.
So, in the end, we now feel very satisfied with the results of sleep training. Joaquin is well rested and happier when he is up. And Jay and I have been enjoying a more predictable schedule and better rest at night. I understand why other people would not want to go through this process, as I definitely had a very hard time with it, but ultimately it was the right decision for Joaquin and for us.
For now, we are happy with the two night wakings routine. If it continues for several more months, we may revisit sleep training to reduce to one meal at night and then again to get to sleeping through the night. I still have not gotten 8 consecutive hours of sleep for almost six months now...but I think I can survive for a bit longer.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Project Time!
Well, after my first full week back at work, I realize that I am going to have to embrace working from home. Before Joaquin was around, I very rarely worked from home. We don't have a lot of space and I never felt productive working on a tiny laptop in the living room. So, when there was a lot of work to do, I stayed at the office late or drove to work on the weekends.
But, this week has really shown me that I need to come up with a way to be home more. I came home after Joaquin was sleeping on Wednesday and Thursday and the other nights I only saw him for thirty minutes or so before bedtime. Plus, I had to go into the office today for a half day. This is just not sustainable.
So, I have a project on my hands. In the next week I plan to convert our guest room into a home office. If I'm feeling really motivated, I will try to take before and after pics to share.
Once completed, I think I will be able to make a habit of leaving work early so I can see Joaquin before bed time and I can get more work done after he is in bed. Not perfect, but definitely an improvement.
But, this week has really shown me that I need to come up with a way to be home more. I came home after Joaquin was sleeping on Wednesday and Thursday and the other nights I only saw him for thirty minutes or so before bedtime. Plus, I had to go into the office today for a half day. This is just not sustainable.
So, I have a project on my hands. In the next week I plan to convert our guest room into a home office. If I'm feeling really motivated, I will try to take before and after pics to share.
Once completed, I think I will be able to make a habit of leaving work early so I can see Joaquin before bed time and I can get more work done after he is in bed. Not perfect, but definitely an improvement.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Revisiting the House Buying Issue...
As some of you might remember, Jay and I have been going back and forth on whether we want to buy a home or not. Recent events have forced us to think very critically about this decision.
We currently live in a very cute 3 bedroom duplex near the ocean. In many ways, it is a great place to live. We take lovely walks on the beach with the dogs and Joaquin and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful weather of a coastal neighborhood. In other ways, it is not so great. Many of our neighbors are young guys who listen to loud music, play electric guitar and drink during the day. Our place is cramped and although we have a guest room, it really isn't suitable for guests because Jay's entire wardrobe is kept in the guest closet. There is no room for a desk of any kind, which is quickly going to make my life a little more difficult. In short, we have sort of outgrown our current living situation.
We were hoping to score a great deal on a rental around the corner. It was a 4 bedroom house in a quiet part of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the owners raised their expected rent by $500 per month and that was that. Ugh.
One of the reasons we were attracted to our current place when we first visited it was the option in the lease to break the lease upon the purchase of a home with 60 days' notice (once we had lived in the unit for at least a year).
So, when we found out we weren't getting the place around the corner, we faced a decision: (1) find a new rental by the end of May or (2) stay in our current place but commit to buying a house in the next year. Decisions, decisions.
After frantic visits to craigslist and redfin, we felt like we were really between a rock and a hard place. We did not want to keep throwing away absurb amounts of money on rent AND have to pay to move and put down a new security deposit. At the same time, we are still underwhelmed with our purchase options and overwhelmed by the idea of making a commitment to a massive mortgage.
Ultimately, we decided we were done moving to new rentals and we are (almost) ready to take the real estate plunge. So, the frantic scrimping and saving has commenced (well, it will commence once I start getting paychecks again) and we are hopeful we will find something we love that we can afford. Plus, we think it will be great to settle into a neighborhood and give Joaquin a chance to start making the kinds of friends that Jay was lucky enough to grow up with in Irvine.
Donations are welcome ;-)
We currently live in a very cute 3 bedroom duplex near the ocean. In many ways, it is a great place to live. We take lovely walks on the beach with the dogs and Joaquin and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful weather of a coastal neighborhood. In other ways, it is not so great. Many of our neighbors are young guys who listen to loud music, play electric guitar and drink during the day. Our place is cramped and although we have a guest room, it really isn't suitable for guests because Jay's entire wardrobe is kept in the guest closet. There is no room for a desk of any kind, which is quickly going to make my life a little more difficult. In short, we have sort of outgrown our current living situation.
We were hoping to score a great deal on a rental around the corner. It was a 4 bedroom house in a quiet part of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the owners raised their expected rent by $500 per month and that was that. Ugh.
One of the reasons we were attracted to our current place when we first visited it was the option in the lease to break the lease upon the purchase of a home with 60 days' notice (once we had lived in the unit for at least a year).
So, when we found out we weren't getting the place around the corner, we faced a decision: (1) find a new rental by the end of May or (2) stay in our current place but commit to buying a house in the next year. Decisions, decisions.
After frantic visits to craigslist and redfin, we felt like we were really between a rock and a hard place. We did not want to keep throwing away absurb amounts of money on rent AND have to pay to move and put down a new security deposit. At the same time, we are still underwhelmed with our purchase options and overwhelmed by the idea of making a commitment to a massive mortgage.
Ultimately, we decided we were done moving to new rentals and we are (almost) ready to take the real estate plunge. So, the frantic scrimping and saving has commenced (well, it will commence once I start getting paychecks again) and we are hopeful we will find something we love that we can afford. Plus, we think it will be great to settle into a neighborhood and give Joaquin a chance to start making the kinds of friends that Jay was lucky enough to grow up with in Irvine.
Donations are welcome ;-)
Back at Work
I'm back at work. Today is my second day and my first Monday. I thought I would be all kinds of upset right about now, but I'm surprisingly okay with everything.
Maybe it is because I still have almost zero work to accomplish.
I really hope my good attitude continues into the coming weeks and months and fights through the inevitable deadlines to come.
But for now, I am enjoying some quiet time in my office to myself. Aaaahh....
Maybe it is because I still have almost zero work to accomplish.
I really hope my good attitude continues into the coming weeks and months and fights through the inevitable deadlines to come.
But for now, I am enjoying some quiet time in my office to myself. Aaaahh....